Advert for the Great Metropolitan Exhibition of Poultry, Pigeons and Rabbits

Over the course of the last 150 years, many different breeds of domestic poultry have been reared. The idea of keeping fowl as domestic animals and not just for profit came into vogue when cock-fighting was banned and the idea of a poultry show was introduced. The earliest recorded show was at held in the grounds of London Zoo in 1845. The birds were shown three to a cage and they were valued at as much as £5 each, an astonishingly high price at this time.